


Seeing Color

by waitineedaname



Category: SKAM (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Asexual Mikael, Canon Compliant, Enemies to Lovers, M/M, Soulmates, except in this universe we know Even and them Talked, skammonth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-02
Updated: 2017-08-02
Packaged: 2018-12-10 07:03:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11686506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/waitineedaname/pseuds/waitineedaname
Summary: Jonas always imagined he'd meet his soulmate somewhere romantic that he could tell people about years later, or at least something boring like in class.He didn't ever expect he'd meet his soulmate in the middle of a fist-fight.





	Seeing Color

**Author's Note:**

> I'm going to drag you all down into my rarepairs if it's the last thing I do
> 
> In this soulmate AU, everything is in black and white until you meet your soulmate, and everything goes into color
> 
> This is also for skam month, week three day three: AUs

When Jonas first met his soulmate, it was in the middle of a fight.

He wasn’t entirely sure why the fight started. He just knew that when he walked out of Syng, Isak was shoving some guy with floppy hair, and then another guy punched Isak so hard he fell over. 

Everything after that felt like a blur of action. Mahdi launched himself into it first. Typically non-violent Mahdi, loyal to a fault, had jumped right in the middle of it and he was in the face of the guy who hit Isak before Even could even get Isak to his feet. All the other guys who had been crowded around surrounded them, and Jonas couldn’t tell if they were trying to pull the fight apart or join it. Jonas knew he wasn’t thinking straight, but his best friend was sporting a bloody nose and he was angry and buzzed and - this revelation hit him as he pulled one of the taller guys out of the throng and laid a hit on his jaw - these were the guys who’d walked in and made Even so scared, so fuck it, Jonas could deal with a few rash decisions.

The floppy-haired guy appeared in his peripheral vision, trying to get in between him and the guy he was grappling with, and then he was in front of Jonas and yelling at him to _stop!_ and _what the fuck is your problem?!_ and Jonas grabbed his wrists and looked up and-

And everything slowed for a second. The guy’s frightened, worried eyes met his own angry ones, and the whole world shifted. It was subtle, and the colors were slightly dulled, but the world wasn’t black and white anymore. As the guy’s expression shifted to that of shock, he knew he was seeing it too.

Jonas gritted his teeth. No. Soulmates didn’t matter right now. Sticking up for his best friend did. So he kept shoving, and the guy kept trying to push him back until Mahdi was getting between them and everyone was leaving and he was able to catch his breath. 

He looked over at them leaving one more time as he went over to Isak and saw him looking back. They shared half a second of eye contact and he saw confusion and worry on his face before Jonas looked away. Of fucking course it had to happen like this.

\-----

They’d rushed Isak off to the hospital, the four of them an anxious, protective shield around him as they rode the tram and escorted him to the waiting room. Even had done most of the talking, but now he was quiet, staring down at the floor and bouncing his knee as they waited to hear from the nurse who’d taken Isak to get looked at.

Jonas knew he wasn’t in the mood to talk. He’d seen the look on his face when those guys had walked into the bar, and he’d seen the worry in his eyes every time he looked at Isak’s purpling face. Jonas really shouldn’t pry. But it was going to eat at him if he didn’t.

“Who was that guy?” He asked, breaking the silence. Even looked up at him, eyes dull and tired. “The one Isak shoved, I mean.”

Even let out a long sigh and looked down again, knee bouncing harder. “Mikael. He’s… an old friend.”

Jonas wanted to ask more, but the nurse came in before he could, and they all jumped to their feet when she told them they could come see Isak. Jonas didn’t ask Even anything else that evening.

\-----

Jonas went home that night and dug through the internet for any trace of Mikael. He found a private facebook, which he refrained from sending a friend request to, and a youtube channel, populated with videos of him and the other four guys that had been at Syng. 

Before he knew it, it was two in the morning and he’d watched all the videos at least three times each. His eyes were drawn to Mikael the whole time, and the way he smiled and joked easily with his friends. They all seemed like genuine and good people, and his mind was swimming with questions.

What had happened between them and Even that made him look so scared? What did Mikael do to make Isak shove him?

Why did he have to be soulmates with someone with so many complications?

\-----

The second time Jonas met his soulmate, it was at Eva’s party. He’d bitten his tongue for weeks, restraining the itch to interrogate Even and Isak and Sana about the boys after it all went to hell, about Mikael in particular. But he saw the ansty look that came over Even’s eyes when he thought no one was paying attention, he saw the big purple bruise on Isak’s face, he saw how closed off Sana seemed, and he decided it was best to just leave it.

When Jonas arrived at Chris’s house with Isak and Even and saw the guys off a computer screen for the first time since Syng, he expected it to be tense. He expected another fight. What he didn’t expect was Even to be greeted with smiles and hugs, a bright smile on his own face as joined into their little pack like nothing happened.

Jonas pulled Isak aside before he could join the crowds of people and glanced over at the group Even had melded into so comfortably. “What the hell’s going on?” He asked in hushed tones.

Isak followed his gaze and shrugged. “They talked this week. Elias-” He pointed to him, but Jonas had rewatched their videos enough times to recognize all of them. “-he messaged Even and they met up to finally, you know, talk it all out. They’re good guys,” He added after a moment, awkwardly scratching just below where his black eye used to be. “I-... I fucked up big time.” 

Jonas glanced up at his friend. That was not an easy thing for Isak to admit, he knew that. He clapped him on his shoulder and gave him the most sincere look he could. “You were just trying to protect Even. He was scared and you acted without thinking. Not the first time you’ve done that.” He teased gently, smiling when Isak laughed softly and shrugged.  
“Yeah, good point. But Even’s really happy now. It’s good for him to be around them again,” Isak had that smile on his face that he always got when he looked at Even, and Jonas found himself grateful for the thousandth time that his friend had found a soulmate that made him so damn happy. Isak turned to face him again and nudged his shoulder. “I’m gonna go find some booze and the birthday girl. Catch you later.”

Jonas nodded and let him wander off in Eva’s direction before turning his gaze back over to the pack of Bakka boys. His heart thudded a little harder when he found Mikael looking back at him, lingering to the side of the conversation. He tilted his head in a way he probably thought was subtle and stepped away from his friends to a more secluded area in the yard. Jonas hesitated a moment, then went after him.

“Hey.” Mikael smiled at him - not the big, toothy grin he had around his friends, but a small, somewhat cautious smile. Like he was waiting for Jonas’s reaction.

“Hey.” Jonas smiled back, but he knew he looked tense. He shifted a bit and rubbed the back of his neck. “I'm, uh. I'm sorry about pushing you. Back at Syng, I mean.”

“That's okay,” His smile widened a bit, starting to look more relaxed. “You were just trying to protect your friend. I get it.”

“Yeah.” Jonas nodded softly and fell silent, looking over where Isak had joined Even in a game of croquet against Elias. He glanced over at Mikael and found him looking in the same direction, his eyes soft and kind.

“Isak and Even… They're really soulmates, huh?” He finally asked after watching them for a while. Jonas nodded and Mikael smiled a bit. “Good. He seems to really make Even happy.”

“Yeah. They're good for each other.” Colors were coming into more focus, Jonas realized. More saturated the longer he stood with Mikael. “...Have you told anyone?” He asked before he could stop himself.

Mikael looked over at him and laughed. “About us? No. Oh god, no, that's way too hard to explain. ‘Hey Adam, you remember that guy with the cool eyebrows that bruised your jaw? Yeah, we’re soulmates, oops.’ No.”

Jonas breathed out a laugh and nodded. “Yeah, me neither.” He glanced over and grinned at him. “You think I've got cool eyebrows?”

Mikael looked surprised and turned to face him fully again. “Are you serious? Your eyebrows could kill a man. They’re better than any I've ever seen.”

Jonas laughed and bonked their shoulders together. “Thanks. I'm proud of my man-killing eyebrows.” 

“You should be! They're fucking amazing.” They stood there, grinning at each other until Elias’s loud voice broke their moment.

“Mikael! Come here and help me teach these idiots how to play croquet!” His words were followed by a laugh from Even and Isak’s mock-offended ‘excuse you? I'm the master of croquet, I'm just holding back so you won't embarrass yourself.’ Mikael laughed and nodded over at him before turning back to Jonas. 

“We’ll talk later, okay?” He waited until Jonas nodded before squeezing his shoulder and jogging over to join them.

That night, Jonas found a friend request on Facebook from one Mikael Øverlie Boukhal. He smiled softly and hit ‘accept.’

\-----

They messaged pretty much nonstop, after that. Mikael had a soft spot for really surreal memes, he quickly found. His photos were almost 90% distorted images of Spongebob because of him. He also had a passionate love for film - like Even, except even more and more focused on the cinematography and editing, while the conversations he’d had with Even usually were about the directing side. He also really, really loved the Hei Briskeby channel. Every time a new video was put up, he sent it to Jonas for approval. Jonas loved every single one.

“Who are you texting?” Magnus asked, peering over his shoulder nosily. Jonas shoved himself further into the McDonald’s booth and locked his phone before Magnus could read his texts.

“No one.” He answered quickly. He wasn't sure why he was keeping it secret; the guys wouldn't mind at all if he told them. In fact, they'd probably drive him nuts with their congratulations. But… He just hadn't found the right time yet. He knew Mikael probably felt the same way, because he hadn't heard anything from his friends either.

“It’s probably that girl he’s been texting all week.” Mahdi suggested, tossing a fry at him. “The one that keeps making him smile.”

“Whatever. You’re just jealous because you haven’t gotten someone’s number in months.” Jonas grinned victoriously at the offended noise and cackles that got him. He looked over, pleased with his evasion, and found Isak staring at him all too knowingly. “...What?”

“Nothing.” Isak continued to look at him with a suspicious expression. Jonas knew he wanted to ask him more, but he respected his privacy too much to do it in front of everyone else. An anxious rock formed in the base of his gut as he realized this was not the last he was hearing of this. 

\-----

And it wasn't. It came back to bite him a week later, when he and Isak were getting stoned at Isak’s apartment. They were sitting on the balcony and he was wondering how the fuck both Isak and Even managed to sit out here when they both had the longest legs he'd ever seen when Isak’s voice broke his reverie.

“So,” Isak tilted his head back and looked at him with all-too-knowing eyes. “You wanna tell me what's going on?”

“What do you mean?” Jonas asked, playing dumb. Isak only snorted.

“Come on. We’ve known each since- what, were we like six?”

Jonas couldn’t help but smile a bit. “You were six. I was still five. And you cried every time the teacher would move our seats away from each other.”

Isak kicked him halfheartedly. “Shut up. But whatever, we’ve known each other for ages. I know when something’s going on with you.”

Jonas sighed and looked down, silent for a while. It wouldn’t hurt to tell Isak a little bit, would it? Not everything, but… something. “I… met my soulmate.”

Isak broke into a coughing fit, choking on the smoke he’d just inhaled too quickly. “What?” He finally managed to croak out. “Are you serious?” Jonas nodded and Isak’s face lit up in a proud grin. “Holy shit! Congrats, man, that’s awesome.”

“Yeah,” Jonas smiled a bit. “Yeah, it’s cool.”

“Who is it? Or-” He added. “If you don’t want to tell me, that’s chill.”

“Yeah, I think I’d rather run it by him before I tell anyone. Sorry,” Isak waved him off, and Jonas was grateful. He knew Isak had kept the fact that he’d met his soulmate secret for months before finally telling him, and he was a good enough friend to let Jonas do the same. Isak looked like he was going to drop it for a moment, then Jonas’s words seemed to actually hit him.

“Wait. _Him?!_

“...Fuck.”

Isak gave him the biggest shit-eating grin. “Your soulmate is a guy, holy shit.” He laid his head back against the wall and laughed. “I knew I wasn’t the only one that wasn’t straight. Oh thank god.”

Now it was Jonas’s turn to kick him gently and tell him to shut up. “It’s not that big of a deal.”

Isak’s grin became a little bit more sincere. “Hey, no, I’m serious. I’m really happy for you. Is he nice? Good looking guy?” He said the last part in what Jonas could only guess was an attempt to sound like him when Isak finally told him about Even.

“Yeah,” Jonas grinned a bit. “Better than you, at least.”

“What?! Wait, you mean he’s nicer or he’s better looking?”

“Both.” 

“Fuck off!” Isak kicked him again, harder this time, and Jonas could only laugh. “Why am I only friends with assholes, what the fuck.”

Jonas’s laugh slowly subsided and he found Isak smiling at him. 

“You’ll tell me who it is eventually, right?”

“Yeah. Just give me time.”

\-----

“Mikael, if you wanted fries, you should have just ordered fries.”

“Yeah, but they taste better when they’re on someone else’s plate.” Mikael said with a grin, stealing another one of Jonas’s fries. They were at the burger place that was quickly becoming their place ever since they realized they had the same taste in food. It was halal, so Mikael didn’t have to worry, and it was both close enough to their houses that it was an easy date spot and out of the way enough that they didn’t have to worry about their friends showing up out of nowhere and asking difficult questions.

Mikael sat back in his seat, apparently satisfied with the amount of fries he’d stolen, and picked at what was left of his burger. “Jonas?” He said after a while, clearing his throat.  
“Yeah?” Jonas eyed him worriedly. Mikael normally looked so relaxed, but he was suddenly looking tense and nervous. He looked up at Jonas and licked his lips.

“We’re soulmates, right? You started seeing color at the same time I did?”

“Yes…?”

“So-” He took a breath, as if he were bracing himself for something. “As my soulmate, you need to know something. About me.” Jonas was really starting to get apprehensive, but he kept his mouth shut and let Mikael take his time to say what he needed to. “I’m… asexual. Or demisexual, I’m not sure yet, but- I know a lot of people expect to have sex with their soulmates, but I don’t know if that- if that’s really for me, you know? I just- I thought you needed to know.”

Jonas stared at him for a long minute, then smiled a bit. “Is that it? Mik, you didn’t need to worry about that. It’s completely chill. Don’t worry.”

Mikael looked like a massive weight had been lifted from his shoulders. “Seriously? You’re not, like, disappointed?”

“I told you, it’s chill.” Jonas started to reach across to hold his hand, then paused. “Wait, do you have any specific boundaries? Like, how far can physical affection go?”

Mikael smiled and bridged the last inch to hold Jonas’s hand. “Stuff like this is fine, and kissing and cuddling and stuff. Just nothing that involves genitals.” His nose crinkled a bit at the last part, and Jonas’s heart swelled a bit.

“So… can I kiss you right now?” He asked, and Mikael grinned wider, nodding and leaning across the table to kiss him. It was soft and chaste and Jonas felt like it was the best thing in the world.

\-----

It was July, and they’d finally decided it was time to tell everyone. 

Yousef still wasn’t back from Turkey, so to fill the void, Elias had made the executive decision to bring in Even’s new friends - or, more specifically, Isak and his friends - for a video. To spice things up, he said. Which was why Jonas was sitting on the floor in front of the far too crowded couch with Mikael sitting behind him.

Jonas was pretty sure it seemed casual enough. He’d seen all their videos before this and he’d hung around them enough at this point to know there was no shortage of affection between these guys. So Mikael gently combing his fingers through Jonas’s hair didn’t really distract them from whatever challenge they were making Mutta and Magnus go head to head in (he thought it might be the chubby bunny challenge, but if he was being honest, he stopped paying attention once Mikael has started playing with his hair.)

When Mikael bent over and kissed him flat on the lips, however, the room fell silent. Jonas knew every single one of their friend’s eyes were on them, but he ignored them and kissed back until-

“Are you kidding me?” Mikael laughed and pulled away to face an exasperated Elias. “In the middle of the video?”

“We thought it was time to tell you guys.” Jonas shrugged, leaning back against Mikael.

“Wait!” Isak sat up from where he’d been slouching on Even’s lap and looked at Jonas. “Is he the guy you were talking about? Your soulmate?”

The room erupted with squawks of surprise and Mikael laughed, propping his chin on top of Jonas’s head. “Aw, you talked about me with Isak?”

“Yes!” Isak interjected before Jonas could respond, looking exaggeratedly offended. “And he said you were nicer and better looking than me!” Their friends let out a collective “OHH” and Mikael laughed even harder. 

“Okay, new competition!” Adam said, shoving Mikael’s shoulder gently. “Who’s the more disgustingly cute couple? You two versus them two.” He gestured to them, then Isak and Even.

“We’d win!” Even pronounced, kissing the top of his boyfriend’s head. “Besides, Mikael wouldn’t compete against his best buddy, right?”

Mikael fixed him with a deathly serious face. “There are no friends in war.” The room broke into raucous laughter again and Mikael dropped the act to grin playfully. Their friends successfully distracted by bickering over which couple was more disgustingly cute, he looked down at Jonas. His smile softened slightly and he pressed a kiss to Jonas’s forehead. “That went well.”

“Yeah. I’m glad we told them.”

“I’m glad it was you I could tell them about.” Mikael grinned and kissed him lightly. Mahdi groaned from the other side of the couch.

“Okay, they win. Did anyone else see that shit? That was horrible.” Everyone groaned with him and Jonas knew they were going to be teased about this for weeks, but he didn’t care.

Because he was glad it was Mikael too.

**Author's Note:**

> idk how this got as long as it did????? um????? oops I just love this ship


End file.
